Community college is often described as a low-cost alternative to traditional 4-year universities. Students have the opportunity to complete general education requirements or prerequisites at a lower cost, then transfer to the university or college of their choice. Many students also choose to stay and complete their degree at community college.
Graduation is the ultimate goal of pursuing higher education after high school. Whether you attend community college or a traditional university or college, the end goal is to obtain your degree. Unfortunately, that’s not always what happens. Many community college students never end up transferring to another school and a significant number never finish their degrees at all.
In this article, we’ll explore some of the most common issues community college students have with their schools. We’ll talk about the issues that keep students from graduating and review some of the ways community colleges can improve. You’ll also receive some advice for choosing the right school for you to ensure that you graduate on time.
What Keeps Community College Students from Graduating?
College is not supposed to be easy, but a newly released survey reveals that there are challenges outside of difficult classwork that prevent students from graduating. Researchers at North Carolina State University created the Revealing Institutional Strengths and Challenges survey which was completed by nearly 6,000 two-year college students from 10 different community colleges around the country.
Here are the top 10 challenges students cite for delaying graduation or dropping out:
- Work
- Paying expenses
- Family and friends
- Online classes
- Parking on campus
- Developmental courses
- Faculty
- Health and
Though some still think that community colleges are somehow less legitimate than traditional colleges and universities, the fact remains that community colleges provide opportunities for students that might not otherwise find the right fit. With reduced tuition costs and flexible class schedules, community college is ideally suited to non-traditional students including single parents, slightly older adults, and students for whom English is a second language.
Though community colleges fill an important niche in the American hierarchy of education, statistics show that enrollment numbers are falling at an alarming rate. Between 2016 and 2017 alone, enrollment dropped by nearly 2% nationwide. Furthermore, a survey of college and university admissions directors completed by Inside Higher Ed revealed that 84% of community colleges have seen enrollment declines over the past two years.
With declining enrollments and new political challenges to face, community colleges are being forced to adapt. Read on to learn how community colleges are changing strategies to boost enrollment.
Why Is Enrollment in Decline?
In 2018, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center performed a survey to evaluate recent declines in community college enrollments. The survey revealed a decline of 1.8% or 275,000 students compared to the previous spring. This marks the seventh straight year where community college enrollment declined in the United States.
According to the survey, enrollment was down in 34 states. Six out of the ten largest states on that list were located in the Northeast or Midwestern United States. After taking an in-depth look at these declining student
Leaving home for the first time is a scary experience for many high school graduates, but for LGBTQ students, that fear has the potential to take on a different quality. According to a study conducted by Campus Pride, faculty members and students in the LGBTQ community are significantly more likely to experience harassment than their heterosexual peers. They are also more likely to feel uncomfortable in their environment on campus.
Though times are certainly changing, there will always be bigotry and discrimination. As an LGBTQ student, you should be aware of your rights and take steps to protect them as well as yourself. Read on to see some expert advice and to receive essential resources for LGBTQ students preparing to enter the college community.
The Top Colleges for LGBTQ Students
Picking a college is a major decision that can impact the rest of your life. Between choosing a major and finding the right school to suit your personality, the choice is tough but it gets tougher when you belong to a sexual minority. Unfortunately, colleges and universities around the country are at odds when it comes to protecting and ensuring equal rights and safety for LGBTQ students.
Though many academic institutions are taking great strides forward, it is still important to do your research, not only about the college and its policies but the culture of the surrounding area. Some colleges are even offering scholarships to LGBTQ students.
Here are 10 of the nation’s top schools for LGBTQ students according to Campus Pride:
- University
Life as a single parent is tough enough without the added burden of going to school. If you’re already shouldering a load of parenthood by yourself, you’re probably hesitant to add more to your plate. Furthering your education, however, could provide opportunities both for yourself and for your children that could change your lives for the better.
Getting a degree can open doors for you, but it does come with its own challenges and many of those challenges are financial. Raising a child is expensive, and so is going to school! Student loans are available for single parents, but they may not be the best option.
In this article, we’ll explore the benefits of community college in particular for single parents and we’ll provide some tips for making it more affordable.
The Benefits of Community College for Single Parents
Whether you’re starting college for the first time or continuing your education, community college provides many unique benefits over traditional 4-year schools, especially for single parents.
The way community colleges are structured is much more flexible than the typical college or university. Many community colleges offer both in-class and online courses with tuition prices that are much lower than traditional schools. Classes are offered both during the day and in the evening, making it easier for busy single parents to find a class schedule that fits their lifestyle. Plus, this flexibility enables single parents to keep working while attending college.
Another benefit of community college for single parents is that you can customize every aspect
Whether you’re planning to attend an Ivy League school, or you want to start out at community college, it’s important to find the right fit. There are so many colleges and universities out there that there’s no reason you can’t find one that suits your needs and preferences.
But how do you go about choosing the perfect college?
You have to start somewhere, so talk to your high school counselor, do some research online, or ask around with your friends and family to start making a list of colleges you may be interested in. As you go deeper with your research, you’ll start to get a feel for each school, and you’ll start to get an idea whether you would fit in there.
Once you have narrowed down your list to a few top picks, it’s time to take the next step – college visits. In this article, we’ll talk about the importance of college visits and how to do them right.
Why Is It Important to Do College Visits?
The college application process is very time-consuming, and it can be stressful knowing that every detail of your application could be scrutinized. When you work that hard to put together the perfect application, you want to know that it’s being sent in the right direction. If you don’t take the time to visit and learn about the schools you’re applying to, it could be wasted effort.
On the other side of things, completing a college visit can help you get a better feel for
